Increase of Bacterial Leaf Streak in Hard Red Spring Wheat in North Dakota and Yield Loss Considerations.

Bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas translucens pv. undulosa, has increased in both prevalence and severity in the major hard red spring wheat (HRSW)-producing state North Dakota. The disease is readily observed after flag leaf emergence and can quickly lead to defoliation and severe yield loss. The objectives of this research were to document the prevalence and incidence of BLS in North Dakota and provide estimations of yield and economic losses. Trained field scouts determined the incidence and prevalence of BLS in ND on HRSW plants between Feekes growth stage (FGS) 8 and FGS 11.2 from 2015 to 2021, and data were used to determine BLS-affected hectares. Yield data in combination with BLS ratings were obtained from HRSW performance trials to estimate the impact of BLS on yield. The combination of variety identity, hectarage data, BLS-affected hectarage estimates, and yield loss estimates was used to estimate economic losses from BLS in 2019 and 2020. Our data suggest that BLS-affected hectares ranged from 747 to 141,680 between 2015 and 2021. Yield loss was observed at multiple HRSW performance trial locations, with estimated yield losses as high as 60% on susceptible varieties. The amount of BLS-affected hectares was the highest in 2019 and 2020, and direct economic losses for North Dakota HRSW producers were estimated to be as high as $4.7 and $8.0 million, respectively. These data highlight the importance of BLS in HRSW and the need to procure resources for breeding efforts and grower education on management of BLS.

A Systematic Review of Durum Wheat: Enhancing Production Systems by Exploring Genotype, Environment, and Management (G × E × M) Synergies.

According to the UN-FAO, agricultural production must increase by 50% by 2050 to meet global demand for food. This goal can be accomplished, in part, by the development of improved cultivars coupled with modern best management practices. Overall, wheat production on farms will have to increase significantly to meet future demand, and in the face of a changing climate that poses risk to even current rates of production. Durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.)] is used largely for pasta, couscous and bulgur production. Durum producers face a range of factors spanning abiotic (frost damage, drought, and sprouting) and biotic (weed, disease, and insect pests) stresses that impact yields and quality specifications desired by export market end-users. Serious biotic threats include Fusarium head blight (FHB) and weed pest pressures, which have increased as a result of herbicide resistance. While genetic progress for yield and quality is on pace with common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), development of resistant durum cultivars to FHB is still lagging. Thus, successful biotic and abiotic threat mitigation are ideal case studies in Genotype (G) × Environment (E) × Management (M) interactions where superior cultivars (G) are grown in at-risk regions (E) and require unique approaches to management (M) for sustainable durum production. Transformational approaches to research are needed in order for agronomists, breeders and durum producers to overcome production constraints. Designing robust agronomic systems for durum demands scientific creativity and foresight based on a deep understanding of constitutive components and their innumerable interactions with each other and the environment. This encompasses development of durum production systems that suit specific agro-ecozones and close the yield gap between genetic potential and on-farm achieved yield. Advances in individual technologies (e.g., genetic improvements, new pesticides, seeding technologies) are of little benefit until they are melded into resilient G × E × M systems that will flourish in the field under unpredictable conditions of prairie farmlands. We explore how recent genetic progress and selected management innovations can lead to a resilient and transformative durum production system.

A Decision Support System to Guide Grower Selection of Optimal Seeding Rates of Wheat Cultivars in Diverse Environments.

Seeding rate in hard red spring wheat (HRSW; Triticum aestivum L.) production impacts input cost and grain yield. Predicting the optimal seeding rate (OSR) for HRSW cultivars can eliminate the need for costly seeding rate research and growers using OSRs can maximize yield and seeding efficiency. Data were compiled from seeding rate studies conducted in 32 environments in the Northern Plains United States to determine the OSR of HRSW cultivars grown in diverse environments. Twelve cultivars with diverse genetic and phenotypic characteristics were evaluated at five seeding rates in 2013-2015, and nine cultivars were evaluated in 2017-2018. OSR varied among cultivar within environments. Cultivar x environment interactions were explored with the objective of developing a decision support system (DSS) to aid growers in determining the OSR for the cultivar they select, and for the environment in which it is sown. A 10-fold repeated cross-validation of the seeding rate data was used to fit 10 decision tree models and the most robust model was selected based on minimizing the value for model variance. The final decision tree model for predicting OSR of HRSW cultivars in diverse environments was considered the most reliable as bias was minimized by pruning methods, and model variance was acceptable for OSR predictions (RMSE = 1.24). Findings from this model were used to develop the grower DSS for determining OSR dependent on cultivar straw strength (as a measure of lodging resistance), tillering capacity, and yield of the environment. Recommendations for OSR ranged from 3.1 to 4.5 million seeds ha-1. Growers can benefit from using this DSS by sowing at OSR relative to their average yields; especially when seeding new HRSW cultivars.

Toward a Better Understanding of Genotype × Environment × Management Interactions-A Global Wheat Initiative Agronomic Research Strategy.

The Wheat Initiative (WI) and the WI Expert Working Group (EWG) for Agronomy (www.wheatinitiative.org) were formed with a collective goal to "coordinate global wheat research efforts to increase wheat production, quality, and sustainability to advance food security and safety under changing climate conditions." The Agronomy EWG is responsive to the WI's research need, "A knowledge exchange strategy to ensure uptake of innovations on farm and to update scientists on changing field realities." The Agronomy EWG aims to consolidate global expertise for agronomy with a focus on wheat production systems. The overarching approach is to develop and adopt a systems-agronomy framework relevant to any wheat production system. It first establishes the scale of current yield gaps, identifies defensible benchmarks, and takes a holistic approach to understand and overcome exploitable yield gaps to complement genetic increases in potential yield. New opportunities to increase productivity will be sought by exploiting future Genotype × Environment × Management synergies in different wheat systems. To identify research gaps and opportunities for collaboration among different wheat producing regions, the EWG compiled a comprehensive database of currently funded wheat agronomy research (n = 782) in countries representing a large proportion of the wheat grown in the world. The yield gap analysis and research database positions the EWG to influence priorities for wheat agronomy research in member countries that would facilitate collaborations, minimize duplication, and maximize the global impact on wheat production systems. This paper outlines a vision for a global WI agronomic research strategy and discusses activities to date. The focus of the WI-EWG is to transform the agronomic research approach in wheat cropping systems, which will be applicable to other crop species.

Managing a Destructive, Episodic Crop Disease: A National Survey of Wheat and Barley Growers' Experience With Fusarium Head Blight.

The main techniques for minimizing Fusarium head blight (FHB, or scab) and deoxynivalenol in wheat and barley are well established and generally available: planting of moderately FHB-resistant cultivars, risk monitoring, and timely use of the most effective fungicides. Yet the adoption of these techniques remains uneven across the FHB-prone portions of the U.S. cereal production area. A national survey was undertaken by the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative in 17 states where six market classes of wheat and barley are grown. In 2014, 5,107 usable responses were obtained. The highest percentages reporting losses attributable to FHB in the previous 5 years were in North Dakota, Maryland, Kentucky, and states bordering the Great Lakes but across all states, ≥75% of respondents reported no FHB-related losses in the previous 5 years. Adoption of cultivar resistance was uneven by state and market class and was low except among hard red spring wheat growers. In 13 states, a majority of respondents had not applied an FHB-targeted fungicide in the previous 5 years. Although the primary FHB information source varied by state, crop consultants were considered to be an important source or their primary source of information on risk or management of FHB by the largest percentage of respondents. Use of an FHB risk forecasting website was about twice as high in North Dakota as the 17-state average of 6%. The most frequently cited barriers to adopting FHB management practices were weather or logistics preventing timely fungicide application, difficulty in determining flowering timing for fungicide applications, and the impracticality of FHB-reducing rotations. The results highlight the challenges of managing an episodically damaging crop disease and point to specific areas for improvement.

Preharvest Glyphosate Application during Wheat Cultivation: Effects on Wheat Starch Physicochemical Properties.

Due to nonuniform maturation, some plants may not be at the recommended stage of maturity when preharvest glyphosate is applied. The objective of this study was to determine how preharvest glyphosate timing affects wheat starch physicochemical properties. Two wheat cultivars were grown in three locations, and glyphosate was applied at the soft dough stage (early application) and the ripe stage (commercial standard). Upon harvest, starch chemical characteristics were studied. The proportion of B-type starch granules was lower in treated samples, although the starch molecular weight was not affected. Rapidly digestible starch content was highest when glyphosate was applied at the ripe stage, and lowest in the control, and vice versa for slowly digestible starch. Additionally, flour pasting viscosity was significantly higher in samples treated at the soft dough stage. Overall, the effects on wheat starch physicochemical characteristics were more pronounced when glyphosate was applied at the soft dough stage of maturity.

Field-Evolved Resistance of Northern and Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Populations to Corn Hybrids Expressing Single and Pyramided Cry3Bb1 and Cry34/35Ab1 Bt Proteins in North Dakota.

Northern, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence, and western, D. virgifera virgifera LeConte, corn rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are major economic pests of corn, Zea mays L., in North America. Corn hybrids expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) toxins are commonly used by growers to manage these pests. Several cases of field-evolved resistance to insecticidal proteins expressed by Bt corn hybrids have been documented in many corn-producing areas of North America, but only for D. v. virgifera. In 2016, beetles of both species were collected from five eastern North Dakota corn fields and reared in a growth chamber. In 2017, larvae reared from those populations were subjected to single-plant bioassays to screen for potential resistance to Cry3Bb1, Cry34/35Ab1, and pyramided Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 Bt toxins. Our results provide the first documented report of field-evolved resistance in D. barberi to corn hybrids expressing Cry3Bb1 (Arthur problem population) and Cry34/35Ab1 (Arthur and Page problem populations, and the Ransom and Sargent populations) proteins in North America. Resistance to Cry3Bb1 was also observed in the Ransom population of D. v. virgifera. Increased larval survival on the pyramided Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 hybrid was observed in both species. No cross-resistance was evident between Cry3Bb1 and Cry34/35Ab1 in any of the D. barberi populations tested. Our experiments identified field-evolved resistance to Bt toxins in some North Dakota populations of D. barberi and D. v. virgifera. Thus, more effective control tools and improved resistance management strategies are needed to prolong the durability of this technology for managing these important pests.

Assessment of Management Options on Striga Infestation and Maize Grain Yield in Kenya.

The parasitic purple witchweed [Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth.] is a serious constraint to maize production in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in poor soils. Various Striga spp. control measures have been developed, but these have not been assessed in an integrated system. This study was conducted to evaluate a set of promising technologies for S. hermonthica management in western Kenya. We evaluated three maize genotypes either intercropped with peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], or silverleaf desmodium [Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC] or as a sole crop at two locations under artificial S. hermonthica infestation and at three locations under natural S. hermonthica infestation between 2011 and 2013. Combined ANOVA showed significant (P < 0.05) cropping system and cropping system by environment interactions for most traits measured. Grain yield was highest for maize grown in soybean rotation (3,672 kg ha-1) under artificial infestation and in D. uncinatum and peanut cropping systems (3,203 kg ha-1 and 3,193 kg ha-1) under natural infestation. Grain yield was highest for the Striga spp.-resistant hybrid under both methods of infestation. A lower number of emerged S. hermonthica plants per square meter were recorded at 10 and 12 wk after planting on maize grown under D. uncinatum in the artificial S. hermonthica infestation. A combination of herbicide-resistant maize varieties intercropped with legumes was a more effective method for S. hermonthica control than individual component technologies. Herbicide-resistant and Striga spp.-resistant maize integrated with legumes would help reduce the Striga spp. seedbank in the soil. Farmers should be encouraged to adopt an integrated approach to control Striga spp. for better maize yields.

Transgenic Bt Corn, Soil Insecticide, and Insecticidal Seed Treatment Effects on Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Beetle Emergence, Larval Feeding Injury, and Corn Yield in North Dakota.

Northern, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and western, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), corn rootworms are economic pests of corn, Zea mays L. in North America. We measured the impacts of corn hybrids incorporated with Cry3Bb1, Cry34/35Ab1, and pyramided (Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1) Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) proteins, tefluthrin soil insecticide, and clothianidin insecticidal seed treatment on beetle emergence, larval feeding injury, and corn yield at five locations from 2013 to 2015 in eastern North Dakota. In most cases, emergence was significantly lower in Bt-protected corn than in non-Bt corn hybrids. Exceptions included Wyndmere, ND (2013), where D. barberi emergence from Cry34/35Ab1 plots was not different from that in the non-Bt hybrid, and Arthur, ND (2013), where D. v. virgifera emergence from Cry3Bb1 plots did not differ from that in the non-Bt hybrid. Bt hybrids generally produced increased grain yield compared with non-Bt corn where rootworm densities were high, and larval root-feeding injury was consistently lower in Bt-protected plots than in non-Bt corn. The lowest overall feeding injury and emergence levels occurred in plots planted with the Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 hybrid. Time to 50% cumulative emergence of both species was 5-7 d later in Bt-protected than in non-Bt hybrids. Tefluthrin and clothianidin were mostly inconsequential in relation to beetle emergence and larval root injury. Our findings could suggest that some North Dakota populations could be in early stages of increased tolerance to some Bt toxins; however, Bt corn hybrids currently provide effective protection against rootworm injury in eastern North Dakota.

Accuracy of references in five biomedical informatics journals.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate and type of errors in biomedical informatics journal article references. METHODS: References in articles from the first 2004 issues of five biomedical informatics journals, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, Journal of Biomedical Informatics, International Journal of Medical Informatics, Methods of Information in Medicine, and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine were compared with MEDLINE for journal, authors, title, year, volume, and page number accuracy. If discrepancies were identified, the reference was compared with the original publication. Two reviewers independently evaluated each reference. RESULTS: The five journal issues contained 37 articles. Among the 656 eligible references, 225 (34.3%) included at least one error. Among the 225 references, 311 errors were identified. One or more errors were found in the bibliography of 31 (84%) of the 37 articles. The reference error rates by journal ranged from 22.1% to 40.7%. Most errors (39.0%) occurred in the author element, followed by the journal (31.2%), title (17.7%), page (7.4%), year (3.5%), and volume (1.3%) information. CONCLUSION: The study identified a considerable error rate in the references of five biomedical informatics journals. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references and should more carefully check them, possibly using informatics-based assistance.